Serena Williams faced her toughest obstacle yet at the U.S. Open on Wednesday. The world No. 1 passed the test.
Williams went toe to toe with Simona Halep, the fifth seed, in an absorbing quarterfinal tussle at Flushing Meadows, a contest that ebbed and flowed into a third and deciding set. Williams, the 22-time grand slam champion, committed an uncharacteristically high number of unforced errors in the match, but she held her nerve when it mattered most and posted a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win.
Williams' 309th major victory earned her a semifinal showdown with No. 10 seed Karolina Pliskova on Friday.
A who's who list of celebrities, including tennis icon Billie Jean King, Tony Bennett, singer and producer Pharrell Williams, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green and New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. were all in attendance to watch Williams, and they were treated to a see-sawing battle.
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Williams, boasting a 7-1 head-to-head record over Halep, came out strong, her shoulder problems a distant memory. Her power and precision rattled Halep, and Williams raced out to a 3-0 lead. Halep, last year's Open semifinalist, held serve in the fourth game to get on the board and that appeared to kick-start her match.
It was the first time Williams had been broken at the tournament, but that is as good as it got for Halep as she gifted the break back to her relentless opponent, who closed out the opening set. Halep had more chances in the second set, and she converted a hard-fought break at the fourth time of asking before consolidating for a 3-1 lead.
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The long rallies took a toll on Williams, but she continued to dig deep, even earning a break point as Halep served to force a third set. As it did on numerous occasions Wednesday, Halep's forehand got her out of trouble in the deciding 10th game.
Williams failed to convert any of her 12 break-point opportunities in the second set, but it was a different story in the final set, after she broke Halep for a 3-1 lead. The 34-year-old consolidated before powering into the final four.
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
Williams (1) def. Halep (5) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS
Williams - 50/43
Halep - 20/17
ACES
Williams - 18
Halep - 1
BREAK POINTS WON
Williams - 4/20
Halep - 2/9
FIRST SERVE PERCENTAGE
Williams - 57
Halep - 65
PERCENTAGE OF POINTS WON ON FIRST/SECOND SERVE
Williams - 77/51
Halep - 64/39
TOTAL POINTS
Williams - 109
Halep - 92